1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to online auctions, and more specifically to an online, live, pre-boarding auction system for seat upgrades on airline flights that can be accessed by travelers through their mobile devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
seats on airlines are divided into different travel classes, such as economy class, business class and first class. Oftentimes the first and business class seats are unsold and represent lost revenue if they are empty after takeoff. Many airlines reward loyal customers by upgrading them to first or business class if seats are available, but that does not produce any additional revenue for the airline; in fact, these “free” upgrades cost airlines revenue because of the extra amenities (e.g., free food and drink given to these passengers) that upgraded passengers consume without having paid for in the seat price.
One system attempts to sell seat upgrades only after the passengers have already boarded, and during the course of the flight, but this inefficient because once passengers are seated (with their bags stowed, etc.) they are less likely to relocate to another seat, and to the extent that they are willing, they tend to offer lower amounts—essentially lowball bidding on the off chance they win the upgrade. Further, moving passengers after they are already seated can be disruptive to other passengers and may result in delays in takeoff.
Some airlines offer upgrades at check-in for a fixed price (i.e., non-auction), but relatively few, if any, passengers actually purchase these upgrades